by Dan Mitchell | Mar 26, 2026 | Blogs, Economics, Free Market
One of the most destructive myths in economics is the zero-sum fallacy. Back in 2018, I shared a cartoon that sought to debunk the notion that one person getting richer meant another person had to be poorer. But I wasn’t satisfied with the...
by Dan Mitchell | Jan 9, 2026 | Blogs, Economics
In 2016, here’s some of what I wrote about the economic outlook in Illinois. And I shared the same observation when writing about California in 2018. There’s a somewhat famous quote from Adam Smith (“there is a great deal of ruin in a nation“)...
by Dan Mitchell | Mar 19, 2025 | Blogs, Free Market
In 2014, I dug through Census Bureau data to show that the well being of all income groups is closely correlated. More specifically, the incomes of all five quintiles (from the poorest 20 percent up to the richest 20 percent) tend to rise and fall together....
by Dan Mitchell | Dec 28, 2024 | Blogs, Economics
Two years ago, I expressed guarded optimism about the economy and government policy. …we don’t need perfect policy to get more prosperity. The economy simply needs “breathing room,” which will exist so long as politicians don’t get too crazy about...
by Dan Mitchell | Oct 31, 2023 | Blogs, Free Market
At the risk of understatement, our friends on the left are fixated on equality. If they were talking about equality of opportunity, or equality before the law, that would be great. Unfortunately, they want equality of outcomes. Which...
